[Towertalk] The case for a static line

[Dick Green]

Barry,

Do you secure the static line at the bottom of the tower either before or
after the first ascent, or just let it hang free?

Is there some sort of spring-loaded release so you can use the Pelz ascender
on the way down?

73, Dick WC1M

> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-admin@contesting.com
> [mailto:towertalk-admin@contesting.com]On Behalf Of Barry Kirkwood
> Sent: Thursday, December 19, 2002 11:45 PM
> To: Tower Talk
> Subject: [Towertalk] The case for a static line
>
>
> The more I read on this, the better the case seems to be for
> having a fixed line up and down the tower while working at heights.
> This is what arborists I have observed do as standard practice.
> From some comments received there seems to be a misunderstanding:
> No, I do not make my way up the rope with ascenders, as rock
> climbers might do when tackling an overhang, and no, I do not
> descend by abseiling down the rope.
> Like this:
> I wear a standard industrial harness with a fall arrest D at my
> back between my shoulders and two positioning Ds at hip level.
> I first climb the tower using the two cow tail technique (use a
> variant of this when climbing trees), then attach a line to the
> top of the  tower.
> This line is D12.5mm dynamic climbing rope.
> On the line runs a Pelz ascender. A sort of ratchet which can be
> slid up the rope by one hand, but jams tight if a downward load
> is put on it.
> Between the fall arrest D and the Ascender I attach a kevlar lanyard.
> This has no stretch.
> The nice feature is that the fixed line is stretchy, so if one
> falls one does a nice soft stop. Have tried it close to the
> ground and it works, and have seen movies of rock climbers being
> arrested from long free falls using similar equipment with no
> apparent harm.
> With this system one is always hooked on and one does not have to
> do sequential clipping and unclipping when moving up and down the tower.
> I climb up and down using the tower itself like a ladder.
> Like some other commentators I have moved away from heavy
> industrial weight positioning lanyards.
> The less weight on has to carry up the tower the less tired you get.
> Also support comments about superiority of figure 8s over bowlines.
> One can learn a lot from modern rock climbing techniques.
> Also: always wear a hard hat.
> Apart from the obvious risk from things dropping from above, beam
> booms may not be where you remembered them to be. I gave myself a
> mighty crack on my hard hat coming up under my boom one day.
> Would have almost certainly have been stunned without the hat.
> Also endorse the use of small gear bags, seem better than tool
> belts in many respects.
> 73 and have a great festive season,
> Barry
>
> end
> Barry Kirkwood PhD ZL1DD
> Signal Hill Homestay
> 66 Cory Road
> Palm Beach
> Waiheke Island 1240
> NEW ZEALAND
> ph/fax 64-9-372-5161
> www.waiheke.co.nz/signal.htm
>
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